Ratchet wrench



i '5 the pawl turns or swings in Patented Oct. 13, 1931 UN-ri'Eo STA;

azazez aren't OFFIC WALTER F. KLEIN, or MILWAUKEE,Wisconsin, assrenon r SNAP-0N -WR-ENOH/R COMPANY, OE MILWAUKEE, WISOONSII T, ACOBPORATION OF WISCONSIN nii'rorrnr WRENCH Application filed. October 13,

The invention relates to ratchet wrenches.

One object of the invention is to provide a ratchet wrench in which the'usual pivot of the oscillatory pawl is dispensed withand the body of the wrench itself and transmits the strain di-'- rectly thereto, thereby overcoming the disadvantages of the usual pivoted. pawl construction, where the pin is liable to be sheared .0 off, and at the same time greatly simplify the causes the ratchet wheel to exert a force from the base of its tooth through the pawl which firmly wedges it againstthe wrench body on the side opposite the intermeshing teeth in addition to the force exerted by the side of the ratchet tooth against the pawl and the wrench body.

The invention eral features hereinafter set forth and more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a plan view, of a ratchet wrench embodying the invention, one of the head plates being broken away; Fig. 2 is a side elevation View of the wrench; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view. of the further consists in the sevwrench head, showing thepawl in its release I Fig. l is a vlew similar to Fig- 3,"

position; showing the pawlin meshed position.

In the drawings the numeral 6 designates the wrench body generally which is formed preferably asa one-piece forging including a head portion 7 and shank or handle portion 8.

The head portion 7 has a ratchet-wheelreceiving opening or bore 9, preferably eX- tending entirely therethrough, and a pawlreceiving opening or bore 10, preferably eX- tending entirely therethrough, said bores 8 so and 10 intersecting each other on a, chord oscillate on the side wall of by the bore '10. I

formed in the head portion 7.

proper working by rivets2t passing'throughj openings in thehead of the wrench, the ratchet-wheel With the above construction,

'of vthe pawl, which movement on the side 28 of one of the teeth 12 engages the 'side 29 of the "thereon which is transmitted through the body of the pawl to the "facing the side 28 of the tooth by the engagement of'the curved side 16' with said bore and at the same time *the'b ase of the tooth causes a wedging force- .iez'z. Serial No; 225,928.

of the'circular bore 10 which is aboutthreequarters of the diameter of said bore.

' A ratchet-wheel 11, having teeth 12 and a central polygonal-opening 13 for receiving..-

the shank'of a wrench member or othertool, is mounted in the bore 9.

A pawl 14, in the formof a hardened metal block, is mounted in the bore 10 'and has a tooth portion 15 engageable with the teeth- I 12 and curved sides 16 and 17 which slide or the head formed The pawl 14: is normally urged into ent V gagement with the ratchet-wheel by a suit-i. able coiled spring 18, here shown as mounted within a recess or notch 19 formed in the pawl 14 and'bear in g at one end against the 'side20of said recess and at its other end the seated ina tangentially disposed recess 21;.v

y, 7o 5 The ratchet and pawl are retained in relation in thehead by head plates 22 and 23 which are secured together being centered, as usual, by a cylindrical portion 26 projecting through a similar opening. in each of theplates 22 and 23. when the ratchet wheel is engaged with the part to'be so turned and the handle 8 is turned counterclockwise, as viewed in Fig. 1, the teeth'of the ratchet wheel move along the fiat side 27 is offset from the center and exert a turning or camming the pawl which swings it from the position shown in Figs. 1 and 4 to a release position shown in Fig. 3. When, however, the handleis moved back-or clockwise of the pawl,

tooth l5 and exerts pressure side of thebore10 V the reaction between to be exerted along the line 30'which acts to wedge the pawl betweerr the ratchet and 12 and the tooth 15' the-sideof the horawith the result that the force transmitted in this manner, together with the force of the direct tooth reactions, is transmitted directto the wrench body and toward the shank portion thereof and not directly transverse to the head, as is the case with sliding pawls, and it will be further observed that this force is transmitted to the wrench body beyond the opening formed by the two bores so that the tendency to spread the body at this opening is not a serious factor and the forward pins or rivets 24 are relieved of direct shearing strains.

I desire it to be understood that this invention is not to be limited to any particular form or arrangement of parts except insofar as such limitations are included in the claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a ratchet wrench, the combination wi h a wrench body having a head portion provided with communicating cylindrical recesses of a toothed ratchet-wheel journalled 'in one of said recesses, an oscillatory pawl having diametrically disposed circularly curved portlons conformlng to and rotatlvely engage-able with the correspondmgly circuvlar curved confining Wall of the other recess for pivotal movement therein about a substantially fixed center, a toothed portion between said circularly curvedportions and awithinthe circle thereof, 7 and engageable with the ratchet-wheel, there being a spring receiving bore disposed with its axis in substantially parallel alignment between correspondingly directional circumferential and central tangential lines of said circular pawl, and spring means in said bore for rotatively urging said pawl in toothed engagement with said ratchet, said spring receiving bore offering minimum interruption to said circumferential bearing outline of said pawl, the thrust line of the toothed portion intersect- I ing the remote curved surface so that the re- 7 action of the ratchet 1S transm1tted;1n-sub stantially diametralalignment through said curved portion of said pawl.-

2. In a ratchet wrench, the' combination with awrench body having a head portion provided with communicating cylindricalrecesses, a toothed ratchet-wheel journalled in one of said recesses, an oscillatorypawl having diametrically disposed circumferential curved portions conforming to and engageable with the circularly curved wall of the other recess, a toothed portion between the curved portions and within the circle thereof for engagement with said ratchet wheel, a

camining edge portion on said pawl in the path of said ratchet-wheelto release said pawl responsive t-oa. predetermined move I ment of said wrench body, and spring means mounted in said last-named recess for urging .said pawl in a circular path into toothed engagement Withsaid ratchet-Wheel, the thrust line of the toothed portion intersecting the remote curved surface so that the reaction of the ratchet is in substantially diametral alignment with the curved portion of said pawl.

' In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

WALTER F. KLEIN. 

